Barbarasa headshot

Emerson Fellow

Estera Barbarasa

11th Class, 2004-2005

Estera is a 2004 graduate of the University of Chicago, with a major in political science and a minor in psychology.  She tutored children through the Woodlawn After-School Kids Program, researched country condition information for political asylum seekers, and studied abroad in Italy. An internship at America's Second Harvest exposed her to the severe state of hunger and poverty within our borders and motivated her to work as an anti-hunger advocate.

Field placement: Vermont Food Bank

Barre, Vermont

Estera created a Hunger 101 Education Toolkit and an accompanying marketing manual.  She conducted a focus group of teachers to assess the need for hunger and poverty awareness curriculum, and solicited information from food bank and community educators.  She gleaned and developed lesson plans, discussion guides, interactive activities, and volunteer projects to include in the education package.  In order to expand Hunger 101 program participation, she compiled a marketing manual that included tools for conducting media strategies, school outreach efforts, and dissemination of promotional material.  Estera also co-managed the food bank's work with America's Second Harvest's Hunger in America 2005 national study.

Policy placement: Call to Renewal

Washington, D.C.

Estera worked to build Call to Renewal's organizing and educational capacity.  She compiled and developed anti-poverty resources to better equip local direct-service providers, church leaders, and student activists in their educational campaigns.  She also identified strategic partnerships with local anti-poverty groups.